Water-soluble unit dose articles comprising cleaning compositions have become very popular with consumers. Such articles contain the cleaning composition which is only released once the article is contacted with water. This offers a convenient means for the consumer to dose the cleaning composition into the wash liquor without the need for scoops or other measuring means. Such unit dose articles are often packaged in tubs or bags, in which multiple unit dose articles are arranged randomly within the package.
However, an issue with such articles is that because they are water-soluble, they can rupture prematurely when they accidentally come into contact with water during storage. Such contact could include consumers accidentally touching an article with wet hands when retrieving a neighbouring article in a packaging tub or bag, or due to contact with moisture in the air during storage. Rupturing of articles can be messy and inconvenient for the consumer and can cause contamination of neighbouring articles.
Related to this is the tendency for neighbouring pouches to stick to one another. This results in further requirements for the consumer to handle the neighbouring pouches in order to separate them before use. This in turn results in further opportunities for the neighbouring pouch to come into contact with moisture ahead of use.
Furthermore, moisture transfer can result in articles ‘clumping’ together meaning that said ‘clumps’ can get stuck in the opening of the package interfering with the wash process and/or the consumer has to touch the articles (including neighbouring articles) further in order to break the clumps apart.
Additionally, it is preferred to provide a system in which the instances of the consumer touching the article are reduced in order to minimise chemistry transfer from the surface of the article to the human hand.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for packaged product that at least in part overcomes the above-mentioned problems. However, such packaged products should be preferably be efficient, reliable and repeatable to use in a convenient manner. The time taken to complete the dosing operation should not be significantly longer than using executions currently on the market as this negatively affects the wash operation for the consumer as it reduces efficiency and convenience.
It was surprisingly found that a packaged product according to the present invention addressed the above-mentioned problems.